A foundation was laid Wednesday in Bunardzik free industrial zone for the construction of a plant by Hi-Tech Assembly Center â the first-ever investment by a Macedonian company in a local industrial zone.

The EUR 20-million investment is expected to open over 300 jobs and is set to be realized in two stages with the first one estimated at EUR 6 million and the second stage at EUR 14 million.

A plant will be built in the first stage on an area of 5,400 square meters. It is expected to start its operations in the autumn with a staff of 100 people.

âThe new company, the pinnacle of technical and technological achievements in Macedonia, will create more than 300 jobs. By manufacturing state-of-the-art electronic components, we will be part of the global sphere of nanotechnologies. Thus, we will significantly contribute to boosting Macedoniaâs export rate,â stated the founder Hi-Tech Assembly Center, Savo Stankovic.

In the companyâs 36-year existence, he said, this is yet another challenge, a historic moment not only for my family, but also for other entrepreneurs and the entire country as well.

âToday is a special, historic day for Macedonia. We are inaugurating the first local investment in the free economic zones, which sets the best example that domestic businessmen who have good ideas and projects, high technology and export-oriented production are welcome in the zones,â Deputy PM and Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski noted.

As a result of the vision of VMRO-DPMNEâs leader Nikola Gruevski, he underlined, and the efforts made not only by him, but also by the entire economic team in the government, a lot of foreign and domestic companies are working in Macedonia that export products and open new jobs, thus reducing the unemployment rate to a record low level.

In the next five years, Hi-Techâs investment is planned to be expanded in Bunardzik across an additional 11,000 square meters. Its products will be exported mainly in Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain and Scandinavia, said Viktor Mizo, director of the directorate of technological and industrial development zones.

Hi-Tech Assembly Center manufactures products that are used in the military industry, automotive industry and airline industry with its clients being Continental, Bosh, Siemens, Philips, etc.

The ground-breaking ceremony was also attended by VMRO-DPMNE president Nikola Gruevski.